Suspended Maldives minister apologises for social media post ‘disrespecting Indian flag’

A former Maldives minister apologised on Monday after facing backlash for a social media post using a symbol that resembled the Ashok Chakra, a prominent feature of the Indian flag.

The post targeting the opposition, which has since been deleted, featured a campaign poster of a political party with the Ashok Chakra superimposed on the Maldivian flag.

Mariyam Shiuna, a member of president Mohamed Muizzu’s ruling party, used the post to criticise the opposition and urge support for her party. However, it led to outrage from Indian social media users, prompting her to remove it and apologise, clarifying that it was unintentional.

“I would like to address a recent social media post of mine that has garnered attention and criticism. I extend my sincerest apologies for any confusion or offence caused by the content of my recent post,” she wrote on X.

“It was brought to my attention that the image used in my response to the Maldivian opposition party MDP bore a resemblance to the Indian flag. I want to make it clear that this was entirely unintentional, and I sincerely regret any misunderstanding it may have caused.”

“Maldives deeply values its relationship and the mutual respect we share with India. In future I will be more vigilant in verifying the content I share to prevent such oversights,” the former member of parliament said.

Ms Shiuna’s post and apology come at a time of strained relations between the Maldives and India, exacerbated by remarks made by Maldivian officials, including Ms Shiuna, following Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep.

Earlier this year, Ms Shiuna was one of three deputy ministers who were suspended for posting derogatory comments about Mr Modi after they triggered a diplomatic row and a tourism boycott by its powerful South Asian neighbour.

The three ministers had called Mr Modi a “clown”, “terrorist” and “puppet of Israel” in posts on X after the Indian leader shared videos and pictures of himself visiting the Indian island of Lakshadweep to promote tourism.

Mr Modi’s posts praising “the stunning beauty of its islands” were seen by some social media users in Male as an attempt to lure tourists away from the Maldives to Lakshadweep.

Many Indians reacted to the posts proposing that Lakshadweep could serve as their country’s equivalent of the Maldives, which led to comparisons between the two and quickly escalated into a slugfest.

The Indian Foreign Ministry summoned Ibrahim Shaheeb, the envoy to the Maldives, over the remarks by the three ministers.

The ministry swiftly distanced itself from the comments and said these “opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the government of Maldives”.

Despite ongoing tensions, India remains a significant economic partner for the Maldives, providing essential imports like rice and medicine. However, there is a growing anti-India sentiment in the Maldives, fueled partly by concerns over India’s military presence and China’s increasing influence in the region.

Mr Muizzu last year “formally requested” the Indian government to “withdraw its military personnel” from the country, according to a statement from his office.

In January this year, the president took a jibe at India saying that the Maldives may be small but it “doesn’t give them the licence to bully us”, referring to India without naming it.